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REAL»ESTATE
AND
NEW YORK, JANUARY 24, 1914
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BUILDING TRADES FORESEE BETTER TIMES
A Keynote Speech by President Crawford at the Annual Banquet—
Says Builders Should Not Be Burdened with Unfair Legislation.
I
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A CHANCE to brace up is the coun¬
try's greatest need, according to
President Crawford of the Building
Trades Employers' Association. At the
annual banquet of that body at the Wal¬
dorf-Astoria on Wednesday night he de¬
livered the only speech of the occasion,
but it was one of such a nature and im¬
portance as to have the efifect of a mes¬
sage from the entire building trade of
the first city of the land to the govern¬
mental powers, whether at City Hall
Albany or Washington—a message of
good-will, but also a message of appeal,
that no more unfair burdens be heaped
upon the building industry.
A Brilliant Scene.
The great banquet hall was crowded
by the sixty tables filled with the prin¬
cipal building contractors of the metro¬
politan district. The special guests were
seated with the President and other offi¬
cers of the association at a long table
down the soutli side. We noticed there
Richard Deeves, the dean of the building
trades; Cass Gilbert, of worldwide fame
as the architect of the tallest building;
Francis N. Howland, president of the
Mechanics and Traders' Exchange; Rob¬
ert D. Kohn, president of New York
Chapter of the American Institute of
Architects, and also president of the Na¬
tional Fire Prevention Association; the
five Superintendents of Buildings,
Messrs. Miller, Carlin, Moorehead,
Moore and Seaton; the Commissioner
of the Tenement House Department, Mr.
John J. Murphy; Mr. Constantine Schu¬
bert, and Vice-Presidents Fred G. Web¬
ber, Edwin Outwater, Treasurer A. N.
Chambers, and Charles J. Kelly, chair¬
man of the board of governors.
Viewed as a whole, it was a very rep¬
resentative gathering which President
Crawford arose to address—a gathering
representative of a mechanical industry
which has performed some of thfe great¬
est feats of construction in the world's
history. It was their annual get-
together, just for the sake of being all
together, and not for the sake of listen¬
ing to profuse oratorical efforts. The
vaudeville that followed the remarks of
the President was a pleasant change
from the long established order of
things, About five hundred men were
in attendance. • After extending a greet-
â– ing to alV Mr.. Crawford said:
"• -.President Crawford's Speech. â–
"\ye should all be particularly happy
to-night, for 'under prevailing business
conditions it is very, gratifying to look
about and observe the smiling faces and
the spirit of thorough enjoyment which
is apparent at each and every table. It
shows the character of our organization,
for the. recent hard times have applied
the acid test to each and every one of us,
and the large attendance here to-night
PRESIDENT WILLIAM CRAWFORD.
demonstrates the stability of our mem¬
bership.
"In recent days it seems to have been
thought necessary to get after the large
interests, and the activity in that direc¬
tion created conditions that brought
about a general stagnation of business;
but the big interests are coming out of
their cyclone cellars, and there seems
to be a growing disposition on their
part to conform to the spirit of the
times and give present-day methods a
chance to be tried out. I believe that if
the growth of this feeling can be con¬
tinued, and if methods free from animos¬
ity and antagonism are employed on one
side, and a more friendly and co-oper¬
ative spirit extended from the other,
that the unrest which prevails will soon
be over.
Needs a Chance to Brace Up.
"What our country needs is a chance
to brace up, and if our law-makers will
only put the brakes on a little and go
more slowly round the turns, not losing
sight of the fact that there is such a
thing as business, and that-most people
make their living by business, then I
am sure that in the very near future
we shall enter upon an era of good times,
that a wave of prosperity will come to
our. shores, and that our industries will
'soon be humming again.
"I believe that we have seen the worst
of. the^ hard times and I feel confident
that the dawn of brighter days is visible.
Our country is so great, its resources
so unlimited, that its onward march of
prosperity cannot be held in abeyance
for any great period of time. Let us
hope that these prophecies will prove
true and that the year nineteen hundred
and fourteen has ushered in an era of
prosperity to our country, to our city
and to ourselves.
Compensation Bill Unsatisfactory.
"After repeated attempts on the part
of our legislators a workman's compul¬
sory compensation law has finally been
passed and placed upon our statute
books. Since the earliest consideration
of this intricate subject no industry has
been more active and more generally
favorable to the great change from em¬
ployer's liability to workmen's compen¬
sation, than has been the Building
Trades Employers' Association. An
analysis of the present law proves that
the bill was passed too hurriedly; and
while we are unanimous in the belief
that there was need of a compensation
measure, the new law will have to be
greatly amended or modified before it
can meet with general approval and be
fair to both sides.
"Our legislators should not burden us
with unfair legislation, their motto
should be "Justice, and Only Justice."
Our industries should not be saddled
with legislation that tends to drive busi¬
ness out of our city and State and which
prevents new enterprises and invest¬
ments from coming in.
A New Building Every Fifty Minutes.
"When conditions are normal in this
great city of ours, statistics show that
we have a new building every fifty min¬
utes during working hours. Our city's
average disbursements are $1,000,000
each day, and upon the shoulders of the
new officials who were chosen at our
last election rests the duty of managing
for the next four years the vast and
complicated affairs of our great city.
Upon their wisdom, prudence and fidelity
to their trust, the city's progress will
largely depend; and although the Build¬
ing Trades Employers' Association is
not a political organization, yet it is
deeply interested in the efficient, eco¬
nomical and wise administration of the
city's government and desires to make
known its assurance of interest and sup¬
port in the difficult and responsible work
to be performed, and to extend its best
wishes for a successful administration.
"In closing I want once again to pay
tribute to the members of the Building
Trades Employers' Association and ten¬
der them most sincere congratulations;
for any organization that can boast of as
substantial a body of men as those com¬
posing our membership have shown
themselves to be during the period of
business depression through which we
have passed, ranks high and compares
favorably with any organization or body
of men engaged in any industry of the
present day. Gentlemen, I wish you all
a very happy and prosperous New Year."